Principal Data Engineer

## Company Description VERSANT is a leading force in news, sports and entertainment - home to iconic and trusted brands that inspire, inform, and delight audiences. Our unique combination of content, technology and services enriches the cultural fabric, igniting passions, sparking conversations, and connecting people to what they love most. As an independent, publicly traded company, VERSANT brings together powerhouse cable networks - including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel - with dynamic digital and direct-to-consumer brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. Together, these businesses reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across every screen and service. VERSANT is an industry-changing media company fueled by innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. With a strong foundation and a forward-looking vision, VERSANT empowers creativity, embraces change, and drives connection in an ever-evolving world. ## Job Description Versant Media’s Data Platforms team is the central data store across the enterprise. We unify disparate systems into a secure, well-governed, real-time data environment that powers downstream products, analytics, and content delivery experiences. We are seeking a Principal Data Engineer to lead the design and evolution of data systems, pipelines, and modeling strategies across Versant’s data platform. This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on building scalable, well-governed data systems and setting standards for how data is structured, transformed, and consumed across the organization. This role partners closely with Platform Development and Data Governance to ensure data systems are both technically robust and contract-driven. Responsibilities - Lead design and implementation of scalable data pipelines, transformation frameworks, and data models - Define standards for: - Data modeling - Schema design and evolution - Data lifecycle management - Ensure alignment with: - Data contracts - Governance and lineage requirements - Observability and data quality standards - Partner with Platform Engineering to integrate data systems into platform services and APIs - Drive best practices for: - Testing and validation of data pipelines - Performance and scalability - Reusability and modular design - Mentor engineers and influence technical direction across teams - Evaluate and introduce modern data technologies and patterns where appropriate ## Qualifications - 8–10+ years of experience in data engineering or related roles - Deep expertise in: - Data modeling - ELT pipelines - Large-scale data processing systems - Strong proficiency in Python and SQL, with familiarity in distributed data systems - Strong understanding of: - Data governance, contracts, and lineage - Data quality and observability concepts - Experience designing systems that support both: - Analytical workloads - - Operational data use cases - Proven ability to lead technical direction without direct authority Nice to Have - Exposure to **ML platforms or services** (e.g., Databricks, AWS Bedrock) - Familiarity with **analytics and BI tools** (Tableau, Power BI, or similar) - Experience working in **media, streaming, or large-scale enterprise environments** - Prior experience modernizing or integrating legacy systems within a cloud-native architecture **Additional Requirements:** - **Hybrid**: This position has been designated as hybrid, generally contributing from the office a minimum of three days per week. - This role is primarily based in NJ with flexibility to work in the HQ office as needed. We offer free shuttles to the Englewood Cliffs office from Manhattan (East & West Sides), Brooklyn, Jersey City/Hoboken, Newark/Secaucus stations. This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Salary…